What went wrong with my chocolate?

jackie_w

Hi,

Today I was making some little mashmallow cake things for my nephews birthday party. I had to melt some chocolate, so I tried to melt the chocolate over a pan of hot water, but it didnt melt properly.
Then I got another bar of chocolate and decided to melt it in the microwave, and at first it seemed to melt okay, then it went the same way as the original chocolate. it just went all lumpy and dry looking and kept sticking together. it didnt melt and go runny like I expected it to.

What did I do wrong?. it was cooking chocolate I used. Oh and when I was melting it over the pan of hot water, I didnt let the bowl touch the water in the pan IYSWIM.


Jackie xx

spykey_uk

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will be along in a bit, but I had this problem once and I'm sure my mum said I needed to add a bit of cold water, as the chocolate has got too hot?

Might be wrong, but I think that may be the problem!

Hope it helps x

jackieglasgow

You burnt the chocolate, I'm afraid. The water if its over a pan, should be gently simmering, not boiling, and when microwaving, you should use a lower power and stir frequently. The problem with microwaving is that it burns easily, and if you don't stir it whilst doing it, because the chocolate keeps it's shape, it never looks melted, and is easy to burn. also, you shouldn't put water in with chocolate as it will go grainy and seperate.

HTH Jackie X

underlay_guru

In the microwave chocolate gets too hot too quickly, and burns. Either put on a low setting, or melt the chocolate in 5 second bursts, stirring each time.

jackie_w

Thanks for your replies, will try it again and see what happens.

Jackie xx

thriftlady_2

It is called 'seizing' when it does that and unfortunately it is beyond help once it has seized. Chocolate can be quite tricky stuff. White chocolate is even more badly behaved.

I have good results in the microwave by giving it a minute on medium, then a stir and another 20-30 secs.

When doing it over a pan of hot water you have to be very careful not to splash water in to it as Jackie says.

Another way is to put it in an ovenproof dish and then into a very low oven, but watch it carefully.

kitschy

I melt mine over a pan of hot water. I use an old christmas pudding bowl (the plastic ones that the supermarket puddings come in - obviously I wouldn't DREAM of having a shop bought pud now I have seen the OS light :rolleyes:) and float it in the water. It's like a little chocolate coracle bobbing about.

It's not the quickest thing in the world to do, and I have to keep poking a fork in to stir it. And then lick it. :rotfl:

p-pincher

Whenever i melt chocolate in the micorwave i always do it on deforst, it takes a whie longer but doesn't seem to get as hot so less chance of it spoiling.